Do+Behave!

=What To Do?=


//Adapted from Tracy Tagliati's [|Customer Service Categories] (Improv Game: Thiagi GameLetter, April 2008)//

Introduction
The purpose of this game is to get students thinking and communicating about how they would behave in a variety of difficult school situations. To increase fluency with courses of actions they could take and evaluate others' ideas of how to handle these situations.

Basic Structure
Players take turns describing how they would deal with a specific situation related to school dynamics. Any player who hesitates too long, repeats a previous response, or supplies an inappropriate response is eliminated. The last player left standing wins the game.

Participants

 * Minimum:** Three
 * Maximum:** Any number
 * Best:** Anywhere between 5 and 30, or a regular class size

Time
5 minutes to an hour, depending on the number of situations drawn

Supplies
Slips of paper (or index cards), each with a situation related to school. (See a list of suitable categories after the description of this game.)

Preparation
The facilitator must make enough copies of the the situations to have at least ten or so per group.

Flow
//Examples//: The situation is “You over hear another student talking about you”. John hesitates too long because he could not come up with an example of how to react or what to do. He is eliminated. Chris says, “Just ignore them”. During a later turn, Pat says, “Act like you didn't hear anything”. The other players point out that this statement is very similar to what Chris said earlier. So Pat is eliminated. Roger says, “Tell the teacher”. The other players claim that this statement is not appropriate because it is not serious enough to warrant telling the teacher. So Roger is eliminated.
 * Organize participants into play groups.** If you have more than six players, divide the total group into smaller groups of three to six players each. Explain that each of these groups will play the game among its own members. Ask members of the groups to stand up.
 * Select a situation.** Ask a player to pick a piece of paper (or card) and read the situation aloud.
 * Supply a course of action that responds to the situation.** Ask each player to take a turn responding with a way to deal with the situation.
 * Eliminate players.** Ask all players to listen to the responses supplied by the other players. Ask them to eliminate any player who commits one of these errors:
 * 1) Hesitates too long before saying a response
 * 2) Repeats a response that was already said
 * 3) Says a response that does not deal with the situation appropriately.
 * Continue the game.** Eliminated players sit down and do not participate in subsequent rounds. The activity continues with the remaining players.
 * Conclude the game.** When all players except one are eliminated, the surviving player wins the game.

Adjustments

 * What should I do with the eliminated players?** Just to keep them actively involved in the game, make them the judges who spot other players who make mistakes. Alternatively, ask them to become coaches, stand near any of the remaining players, and whisper suitable ideas in their ears.


The facilitator will debrief with the players about the different solutions students came up with. Possible discussion topics:
 * //What solutions did you like that you hadn't thought of before?//
 * //What solutions fit a variety of situations?//
 * //What is something that you will try?//
 * //What do you think are the least effective solutions?//

School Situations

 * 1) You see kids picking another student
 * 2) You see someone cheating on a test
 * 3) Someone is calling you names
 * 4) You were picked last for a game
 * 5) Your best friend won't talk to you
 * 6) The popular kids don't want you to sit with them
 * 7) A kid in your group is being bossy
 * 8) A student you don;t know very well asks you to be their "best friend"
 * 9) Another student touches you and it makes you feel uncomfortable
 * 10) The student next to you keeps trying to talk to you during reading
 * 11) Someone asks if they can copy your homework
 * 12) A group of kids won't let you into the bathroom
 * 13) You give an incorrect answer and other kids laugh
 * 14) Someone is making a joke out of your name
 * 15) You are included, but you friend is being excluded
 * 16) Another student takes your hat and won't give it back